Fury Calls for Usyk Fight as Joshua Bout Fizzles Out

8:04 AM ETDeveloping

Sports Desk

In Short: Tyson Fury has accused Anthony Joshua of backing out of their heavyweight boxing showdown and has challenged Oleksandr Usyk to a third fight.

Tyson Fury has accused Anthony Joshua of backing out of their much-anticipated heavyweight boxing showdown, throwing the planned Fury-Joshua clash into doubt. In a series of expletive-laden videos posted on Instagram, Fury claimed Joshua is 'weak-minded' and cannot make up his mind about the date and venue of their fight.

Fury, 38, has been impatient with the lack of confirmation, calling his rival a 'coward' last week. The 'Gypsy King' has instead called on his longtime Ukrainian rival Usyk to meet him in the ring again, despite having a signed legally binding contract to fight Joshua.

The proposed Fury-Joshua fight has faced disagreements over the venue, with Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden among the locations discussed. Fury has lost twice to Usyk, with the Ukrainian winning both encounters in 2024, and is now seeking a trilogy.

Fury's announcement has added fresh uncertainty to the long-awaited Joshua showdown, with no third fight between him and Usyk having been confirmed. Meanwhile, Joshua has been working with Usyk's training team, further complicating the situation.

What's confirmed

What's still developing

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have signed contracts with Saudi Arabian promoter Sela to fight each other Tyson Fury claims he is looking for a new opponent for November and has called out Oleksandr Usyk despite being contracted to fight Anthony Joshua next.

Sources

Bjpenn link